Bears notebook: Signings show Bears want to be Bears

Monday

Jul 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 28, 2008 at 5:17 PM

Devin Hester credited the fans for standing behind him, and the Bears general manager praised the players for standing behind the fans after Hester became the 10th Bear to sign a contract extension this offseason.

Devin Hester credited the fans for standing behind him, and the Bears general manager praised the players for standing behind the fans after Hester became the 10th Bear to sign a contract extension this offseason.

“The good news is, the players we have here want to be Bears,” Angelo said after practice Sunday. “Certainly they want their money, but they also made their commitment to me, to Lovie (Smith) and to our fans that they want to be Bears.”

Hester appreciated the fans supporting him.

“Every day I come out here, the fans give me a spark,” Hester said after agreeing to a four-year extension that will pay him between $30 and $40 million the next six years.

“If we came out in Bourbonnais and there were no fans, this camp would just be so dry and dead. The fans are the ones who get everyone motivated. We couldn’t do it without the fans.”

Sideline lessons

Receivers coach Darryl Drake admonished Bear receivers to never look at their feet as they tried to keep their toes inbounds in a sideline drill.

“Never look down at that sideline; you take your eyes off the ball,” Drake shouted. “Feel it! Feel that sideline!”

Camp sights

Rex Grossman again looked better than Kyle Orton in practice, except for one wobbly underthrown long pass intercepted by Charles Tillman. Kyle Orton missed a wide-open Rashied Davis on one crossing pattern and was intercepted by Hunter Hillenmeyer on one short pass over the middle.

Lovie Smith said he was “very impressed with the running game.” The run that drew the biggest applause was third-down specialist Garrett Wolfe breaking loose on a draw play up the middle.

The play of the day, though, was by Hester. The newly re-signed receiver hauled in a 40-yard bomb over this shoulder from Grossman. He wrestled the pass away from Charles Tillman and Mike Brown, and then thrust the ball over his head to big cheers as he rolled over.

That, Smith said, proved Hester didn’t miss too much when he missed the first four days of practices.

“He blended in,” Smith said. “It’s not like we were out there coaching him up on what to do. He’s a playmaker, and he made plays.

“I’m smiling most of the time I’m talking about Devin Hester. Now I can do it a little bit more.”

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